Jeff Lynne’s ELO: Magical, Musical And Nostalgic
When I heard the news that Jeff Lynne’s ELO was coming back to Philadelphia for his farewell “Over And Out” tour, it made my week. I’d had the opportunity to witness this magical, musical and nostalgic evening once before in August, 2018. Back then, and having never seen him prior, I was a bit more skeptical. Yes, the production on the albums is beyond stellar in every way. How could this possibly sound that way onstage? To say that Jeff Lynne show exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. It was one of the best live shows I’d ever seen, so I was ready and excited to see him once again.
A Harmonic Convergence Of Jeff Lynne’s ELO Fans
The venue was, like, 2018, the Wells Fargo Canter, and Lynne and Company played two nights in South Philly, Friday and Saturday night, September 20 and 21. I went down for night one, Friday, by myself like before, and got there nice and early, hoping to grab some food and catch the opening act, Rooney. I parked my car in C Lot and was getting ready to get out of the car when, in an amazing moment of serendipity, three pals of mine pulled up to park right in the spot next to me! What were the odds?! So rather than catch Rooney, I had an impromptu tailgate with fellow Jeff Lynne’s ELO fans John, RT and Ron!
After stopping inside for a few more drinks and some Chickie’s and Pete’s pizza and crab fries, we all went our ways and went to our seats. Again like in 2018, I had a seat exactly where I wanted to be: on the floor in the section in front of the soundboard. The nostalgia was felt right away when I heard “Handle With Care” come over the pre-show speakers. Then it wasn’t long until..showtime!
Jeff Lynne’s ELO Takes The Stage And I Go Nuts
The lights went down, the band entered ther stage, the crowd (and I) went nuts, and they launched into “One More Time” from Jeff Lynne’s 2019 album, From Out Of Nowhere. I was so glad he started off with that rocker, as it was the lone song on the album to feature his late bandmate Richard Tandy on piano. Taking his place onstage was Marcus Byrne on the keys, and he (and well as the rest of the band) did not disappoint.
For the next nearly two hours, culled almost exclusively from the classic ELO days, the band kept the mood joyous and upbeat with hit after hit, and the crowd swung and swayed all evening to these beloved songs. Knowing I’d likely be overcome with emotion seeing Jeff Lynne perform these beautiful melodies and arrangements before my eyes, I’m glad I brought a 10-pack of Kleenex! I sure needed it as I heard my all-time favorite ELO song, “10538 Overture,” into “Strange Magic.” Since I rarely view setlists before a show, I was not prepared for “Last Train To London,” the fine Discovery track. Hearing a snippet of “Fire On High” was also a true delight.
Truth be told, Jeff’s vocals were very good, but not quite what they were in 2018. Several times during songs, he left he singing to his wonderfully talented vocalists, Mike Stephens, Lee Pomeroy, Melanie Lewis-McDonald and Iain Hornal, but it didn’t matter. The love, the feel, the vibe and the magic was all there, song after song.
As I headed to my car as “Mr Blue Sky” played in the encore, I thought about what a beautiful, bittersweet night it had been, how I was able to bid farewell to the live portion of this man’s fabulous career as Jeff Lynne’s ELO, and how truly honored I was to be there.
